Nimzo-Indian Defense: the complete guide
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
The masterpiece of Aaron Nimzowitsch, theoretician of 'My System': pin the c3-knight, control e4 without placing a pawn there. So respected that half of 1.d4 players avoid it with 3.Nf3. The weapon of every world champion since Capablanca.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. d4d4 occupies the center.
- ... Nf6Nf6 develops the knight and controls e4 and d5.
- 2. c4c4 controls d5.
- ... e6e6 controls d5.
- 3. Nc3Nc3 develops the knight and controls e4 and d5.
- ... Bb4Bb4 pins an enemy piece against its king, develops the bishop.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4. Qc2 | 11 % | 14 % | 19 % | 25 % |
| 4. e3 | 8 % | 9 % | 12 % | 20 % |
| 4. Nf3 | 17 % | 18 % | 17 % | 13 % |
| 4. Bg5 | 17 % | 18 % | 16 % | 9 % |
| 4. f3 | 1 % | 2 % | 4 % | 8 % |
The main variations
- Nimzo-Indian DefenseE201. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
- Rubinstein SystemE401. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3
- Normal VariationE461. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O
- Normal VariationE471. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O
- Classical VariationE321. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2
- Normal Variation, Classical DefenseE481. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O
- Three Knights VariationE211. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3
- Rubinstein SystemE411. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5
- Normal Variation, Gligoric SystemE531. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O
- St. Petersburg VariationE431. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6
- Classical Variation, Noa VariationE341. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5
- Kmoch VariationE201. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Nimzo-Indian Defense?
- The Nimzo-Indian Defense starts with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Nimzo-Indian Defense have?
- 99 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 4. Qc2, played in 25% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Nimzo-Indian Defense for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Nimzo-Indian Defense are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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